Player Ratings: Palermo 1-1 Inter

PALERMO

Sirigu: 6 - He is on the outskirts of the Italy squad but didn’t really get a chance to make any big saves. Was strong in the air. Dove the wrong way on the penalty.

Cassani: 6 - Looked a little troubled by Santon’s runs but made a great block in the 70th minute.

Kjaer: 7 - The Danish defensive stalwart was turned inside out by Milito in the first half but his positional sense was excellent in the second period. Didn’t give Eto’o or Milito a sniff at goal in the last 60 minutes.

Bovo: 5.5 - Put his team in an early hole when he conceded a penalty after dragging Lucio down from a corner. Very lucky not to have been sent off in the 13th minute.

Balzaretti: 6.5 - The former Juventus defender made a vital tackle on Maicon on 29 minutes and galloped forward whenever he could. Did well against Inter’s Brazilian full-back and had a lively game.

Migliaccio: 6 - Did his best to shadow Sneijder but was barely hanging on in the last 15 minutes.

Nocerino: 6 - Is not a flashy player but instead prefers to do the dirty work in midfield and that’s just what he did this evening.

Simplicio: 6 - Kept possession for his side and closed down the middle of the pitch well. Injured himself on a couple of occasions and had to be subbed off early in the second half.

Pastore: 7.5 - The Argentine playmaker looked nervous in the early going but settled down nicely and gave Lucio some real problems with his clever touches and pace. Showed off his skills by bamboozling Santon and was a real threat whenever he touched the ball.

Miccoli: 7 - The diminutive dynamo set up his strike partner to level the scores in the first half. An air of expectation went up at the Renzo Barbera whenever he touched the ball. Great cross to Cavani in the 50th minute.

Cavani: 7 - Palermo may be hard pressed to keep the striker in the summer and he showed why tonight with a fabulous strike in the 25th minute.

Substitutions

Bertolo: 6 – He was overrun by the Inter midfield in the last 20 minutes of the match.

Hernandez: N/A – A time wasting substitution

INTER

Julio Cesar: 6 - Didn’t have much to do tonight but looked sharp when he parried Miccoli’s shot away in injury time.

Maicon: 6 - The marauding right-back had a great chance in the 34th minute, but his awkward header failed to hit the target. Was encamped in Palermo’s half of the field but more often than not the final product was lacking.

Lucio: 7 - A real transfer coup last summer for the Nerazzurri. The Brazil captain won his side a penalty in the early going and pushed forward when he could but had some problems with the pace of Pastore at times.

Samuel: 8 - The fearless Argentine center-back was a tower of power this evening. He had a marvelous chance in the 74th minute to win it but couldn’t direct his header on target. Made a magnificent tackle on Cavani in the late going.

Santon: 6.5 - The teenage full-back returned to the line-up and was given the green light to push forward as highlighted by his great run just before the end of the first half. Set up Cambiasso nicely just past the hour mark. An encouraging display.

Zanetti: 6 - The old warhorse was handed a midfield role this evening but wasn’t as influential as he was at Stamford Bridge. A very ordinary performance from the usually extraordinary captain.

Cambiasso:  6 - His giveaway in the 32nd minute gave Pastore a decent chance. Had two opportunities from the edge of the box in the second half but wasted both of them. Almost gifted Cavani a chance for the winner late on with another sloppy pass.

Stankovic: 5.5 - A disappointing display from the Serb who doesn’t look completely match fit just yet. It was no surprise when he was hooked in the 65th minute.

Sneijder: 7 - The Dutchman pulled the strings once more for the Beneamata. His set piece deliveries gave the Palermo backline all kinds of problems. His passes to Eto’o and Maicon in the first half stood out. He was desperate to score the winner but couldn’t find a clear path to goal.

Eto’o: 7 - Linked up well with Milito in the early going and set up the Argentine for a good chance in the seventh minute. He was in the thick of things for the last 15 minutes but had a couple of goal-bound shots blocked.

Milito: 7 - He was a real terror in the early going as he hit the post, scored a goal and then missed a great chance all in the first 20 minutes. His movement off the ball is second to none but was kept on a short leash by Kjaer in the second half.

Substitutions

Pandev: 6 - Gave away possession cheaply one time too many which led to a couple of dangerous counter-attacks for Palermo.

Thiago Motta: 7 – Injected the visitors with a real shot in the arm when he came on.